Human Rights Watch acknowledges its error in attributing the cause of Andrei Shelkavenko’s death to torture after a team of international experts found that Shelkavenko, arrested by Uzbek police on April 23, died as a result of hanging. Human Rights Watch urges the Uzbek government to continue its inquiry into the circumstances of his death and allegations that he had been beaten in custody and his relatives harassed.
A Human Rights Watch press release, published on May 21, called the death a “torture death.” Shelkavenko, 36, died on May 19, while in police custody in Bostonlik district police station in Gazalkent, outside of Tashkent. In the press release, Human Rights Watch had called for the Uzbek government to conduct a thorough and independent examination and to allow international forensic experts to examine the body.
The international experts observed the investigation at the invitation of Freedom House, a U.S. NGO. The delegation, comprised of a forensic pathologist, a criminal law expert and a policy expert, made its findings public yesterday. At a Freedom House press conference in the Uzbek capital, Tashkent, the delegation concluded that Andrei Shelkavenko’s cause of death was hanging, that there were no significant injuries at the time of autopsy, and that there was no evidence of torture.
Human Rights Watch based its conclusion that the death was due to torture in part on wounds observed on Shelkavenko’s head and leg, which were caused prior to his death, and on the blackening of the scrotum, which was caused by postmortem drying, a natural process.
Shelkavenko’s relatives also reported to Human Rights Watch that several witnesses had alleged that Shelkavenko was beaten while in custody. An interdepartmental commission established by the Uzbek government continues to investigate the death.
“Uzbekistan took a significant step in allowing independent experts to examine the body,” said Rachel Denber, acting executive director of Human Rights Watch’s Europe and Central Asia division. “This is a precedent that should be extended to other cases where torture and ill-treatment have been alleged.”
Human Rights Watch urges the Uzbek government to conduct the current investigation in a transparent manner and to present its findings publicly. The investigation should address several outstanding issues. Of particular concern are allegations from Shelkavenko’s relatives that he had been beaten in custody and that they have been harassed by local authorities. Relatives reported to Human Rights Watch that they were pressured to bury Shelkavenko quickly and not wait for an independent examination, and that they have been followed and threatened.
The government commission should also thoroughly investigate the manner of Shelkavenko’s death and how the hanging could have occurred in a cell with three other inmates present. It should also take appropriate steps to prevent such deaths in the future.
According to international standards, all deaths in custody are considered suspicious deaths and warrant an independent investigation. Human Rights Watch hopes that the current commission establishes a minimum standard for investigating future cases.
